Friends of Hopewell Furnace to present night skies

On Sunday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m., the president of Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council, Stan Stubbe, will take visitors through the wonders of Hopewell’s night skies at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

Hosted by the Friends of Hopewell Furnace, the program will highlight the exceptional values of the park’s night skies with tips on how individuals can help protect their local night skies. Staged in the park’s conference room, the program is free and open to the public.

In addition to being president of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council, Stubbe is the owner of Stubbe Consulting LLC. He serves as lighting consultant for 17 townships in the review of the outdoor lighting elements of subdivision and land development, conditional use, special exception and building permit applications. He is a past president of the Green Valleys Association, past chair of the North Coventry Planning Commission, and currently serves as treasurer of the Federation of Northern Chester County Communities.

Author of the Outdoor Lighting Planning Bulletin for Chester County Planning Commission and several publications designed to inform the public on light conservation, he has prepared lighting technical documents and ordinances for more than 35 municipalities.

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Holding a bachelor of science degree from Cornell University, Stubbe is a member of the International Dark-Sky Association, the International Illumination Commission, IEEE, and a member emeritus of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.

Hopewell Furnace lies at the center of Hopewell Big Woods. In 2012, the Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council declared Hopewell Big Woods Pennsylvania’s First Night Skies Conservation Area to bring attention to the need to protect the area’s extraordinary night sky values. The park is leading a national park service effort to protect dark skies and invites the public to join in this effort.

The ChesMont Astronomical Society staged their public StarFest event at the park in 2012, with plans to hold it at Hopewell Furnace in 2013.

While at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, visitors are encouraged to go into the village, tour the buildings and learn about the Iron Making Industry and why Hopewell Furnace is important to our nation’s history.

The park is located five miles south of Birdsboro, off Route 345. For more information, stop by the park’s visitor center, call 610-582-8773, visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/hofu, or contact the park by e-mail at hofu_superintendent@nps.gov.